Yves

The one I'm currently looking at is a 5-sword stand. Has some cracking in the lacquer which seems to indicate old age. Rather bulky type of sides which is different from some of th extensively raden embelished items. There is a painting on it front and back with cherry blossom motive, but it's very modest. Suspect old age.

A question: what characteristics determine the era in which a katana kake was made?

https://www.dhlecomm...en/verboden-goederen (replica's van) vuurwapens, steekwapens, slagwapens en/of delen ervan Translation (replicas of) fire-arms, stabbing weapings, hitting weapons or parts thereof. https://www.ups.com/...rohibited-items.page

I have checked in Belgium with several airliners and package services among which DHL, UPS, Belgian Postal Services, Japanese Postal Service, SN Brussels Airlines etc. All refused. Might just be Europe, who knows. Most of them now also have these specific exclusions mentioned on their websites.

Like I said, the problem for me is solved. For an expensive nihonto this is doable, but for ordering a low cost iaito, boken etc that we use in our dojo, this is not feasible. Lucky for me my sword will last me until I'm not able to train anymore but for newcomers this will be a completely different thing. So, our martial art will die out in Belgium.

This is not about an antique in my case but a new sword.

Sorry Dirk. Incorrect. See the Weapons law chapter 8 alinea 1 - forbidden actions (version 2018 - passed on 1-12-2022 as mentioned in the link in my first post) which explains what is forbidden. Purchase of weapons over the internet is now forbidden. It just mentions weapons, not only fire arms and makes no exclusion for weapons older than 100 years. The text that you published is correct in the sense that they are still seen as blank weapons and thus free of licences etc, but you just cannot buy them over the internet anymore unless you physically do so. In effect this would mean that if your sword would be in Japan or in the US you would physically need to go there and buy the thing and then bring it back with you. The latter is particularly a problem since no airliner will carry weapons anymore (any weapons) so also the bladed ones even if in your lugage stored in the belly of the airplane. Believe me I have inquired with all the packet service companies and airline companies and have gotten the same reply. The effect of this is that you would not be able to purchase a sword that is not in Belgium already, unless you go through a licenced weapons dealer. He has now also the obligation to check your id as you need to be older than 18 years.

Yes absolutely not a fan of govs either

The link above clearly indicates what the rule is Dirk. I presume you can read this being from Belgium. It applies to all weapons. No exemptions, not even for weapons older than 100 years. (https://justitie.bel..._n/vrij_verkrijgbaar) I also know of swords that were bought in 2023 over the internet that made it into the country. However, they may have just been lucky. Arms regulation is not exactly something that you want to violate as it carries some heavy jail sentences to it. I presume these rules will get increasingly enforced as time passes. I was not aware of this either and it was pointed out to me by someone so I have meanwhile taken a different route to reach my goal which is within the limits of the law. It will cost extra but it comes at additional insurance also. The main problem is that this type of laws make the practicing of Martial arts such as Iai, Jodo and Kendo extremely difficult in Belgium. Apparently our politicians don't care (as always)

I can only express my disdain over something like this.

I think this woke thing in todays society is completely out of proportion. Unfortunately in the process everything is destroyed. And let destroying be the easiest thing in the world, hence why governments and civil servants are so damn good at it. The citizens need to build everything up, so they can do their job of destroying it all. Sad.

Don’t know but anything is possible. It just mentions weapons. That can mean anything, even the knife you use to cut your steak.

Terror governments. No exemptions for antiques. And apart from the collectors it will be the death blow for iaido, jodo, kendo. But hey, an a positive note…we can now start doing pissing contests against police vans. The minister of the judicial department has been giving the enlightened example for this: https://www.brussels...vestigation-launched

Hi, As an FYI to all who would want to try this in the future. In my journey to acquire a set of swords, I ran into new legislation that has been put in place in Belgium in December 2022. I hereby provide the link but it is in Dutch, so you'll need to translate. Wapens aankopen op het internet voortaan verboden - Team Justitie What it comes down to is that the government has implemented a rule that any citizen is forbidden to buy what can be considered a weapon (so under this definition also fall iaito, boken and shinai for example) when bought online. You only have 2 options left: buy it in person or go through an arms dealer. If you do buy it you run the risk of (i) jail sentence and (ii) destruction of the weapons. Needless to say this makes life extremely difficult and I'm told that the EU would want to implement the same.

In a year and a half or so. They still need to be made.

Seems I'm going to be getting both.

What is the opinion here?

I've also read about the sashikomi and hadori types. Can I assume that the higher quality polish is hadori style and the mid quality tha sashikomi? If I read comments correctly, the consensus seems to be that a sashikomi polish would suffice for swords also used for iai.

And which ones of the above would constitute a foundation polish?

Because I want a sword that is still worth something. From the smith.

Really high art quality polish would be indeed 2500$ or thereabout

this is the mid quality

This is the better quality.